Treatment of Excessive Gingival Display Using a Modified Lip Repositioning Technique

Excessive gingival display during smiling ("gummy smile") is an esthetic issue that affects a considerable part of the population. The hyperactivity of the elevator muscle of the upper lip is one of the main causes of a gummy smile, and several techniques have been proposed for its treatment. The aim of this report is to describe a modification of the lip repositioning technique to achieve stable and significant outcomes through a more conservative procedure. Two patients complaining about a gummy smile were treated with the proposed technique and presented, after a 6-month follow-up, significant improvement in the amount of gingival exposure and esthetic satisfaction.